New oilfield service centre: All Enmore Packaging Facility workers to be retained

…to be given 2 months’ pay to assist with transition

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Friday met with workers from the Enmore Packaging Facility to update them on the future of the facility.

At the meeting the workers were told that Guysons K+B Industries (GKB) had entered into an agreement with the Government to lease the facility which will then be transformed into a modern oilfield service centre and manufacturing facility.
Mustapha told the workers that as part of the agreement, the company was required to retain every worker employed at the facility and provide the necessary skills training so that workers were not left on the breadline.
“We are here today because many workers expressed concerns after they learned that this packaging plant will be relocated to Albion. We are exploring that option because, as a Government, we want to consolidate, recapitalise and we want to ensure GuySuCo is an entity that eventually becomes profitable. Over the last 18 months, since assuming office, we’ve allocated almost $14 billion to this Corporation. We’ve also injected funds into the shuttered estates like, here, at Enmore…,” the Minister was quoted as saying in a release on Friday.
“As faith would have it, we are now looking to divest and we’ve met with an interested investor and signed an agreement that will see GKB leasing this packaging plant and transforming it into a modern machine shop. I want to make it clear that the workers who are employed will be absorbed by the company. So, you can rest assured that your jobs will be secured. From the Government level, we’ll also make two months’ pay available to you to assist with the transition,” Mustapha said.
The Minister also told the workers that, unlike the previous Administration, this Government will not abandon the people of this country.
He further stated that, as work progresses at the service station, an additional 460 new jobs will be created for the people of Enmore and other neighbouring communities.

Developing
Additionally, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony who was also present at the meeting said with Guyana now benefiting from large oil finds, companies, directly and indirectly, involved in oil and gas will be looking to employ persons from Enmore and other surrounding communities who have the necessary skillset.

“You will see us developing, as a Government, a number of facilities in the East Coast. We want to create jobs for these people in these industries. We have large finds of oil offshore and, therefore, they would need certain machinery and parts for that industry. We have in this community, and in the surrounding communities, a lot of persons who have the skillset and I’m sure they will be looking for persons with those kinds of skills as they get this particular production up and running. In addition to that, they’re other interests, so its Government’s intention to ensure that we develop this area and other surrounding villages so that more people can be employed,” the Health Minister was quoted as saying.
He also told the workers that the Government will be transforming the Enmore Poly Clinic into a modern regional hospital. This new health facility, he explained, will be outfitted with an accident/emergency section, a theatre for surgeries, and an outpatient section among others. This project, he added, is expected to commence within the next three months.

Transition
Chief Executive Officer of Guysons Group of Companies, Faizal Khan said that workers can rest assured that they will receive the necessary skills training to ensure their transition is as smooth as possible.
“This is a joint venture from Louisiana called Guysons K and B Industries. We’ve already been traded. We’ve already got contracts with ExxonMobil and others. What we intend to do here is pipe and oilfield service work. I’ve spoken at length with the Minister and the President mentioned on no less than four occasions “make sure you look after the people at the Enmore Packaging Facility and the people of Enmore”. I heard you are very hardworking people and I want to assure you that we will give you the necessary training so that your transition can be as smooth as possible,” Khan said.
Workers who attended the meeting said that they were relieved that the Government made it a priority to ensure their livelihoods were secured even as new job opportunities were being created for the community.
On Wednesday, it was announced that over 500 job opportunities would be created over the next five years with the coming on stream of a US$35 million investment in an oilfield service centre and manufacturing facility at Enmore, East Coast Demerara.
The services to be offered would include tubular goods, premium threading and accessory services, as well as turnkey manufacturing solutions.
The announcement of this joint venture was made on Wednesday morning on the sidelines of the ongoing International Energy Conference being held at the Marriott Hotel in Guyana.
While the complete investment is US$35 million and the intention is to employ 500 Guyanese, an initial sum of US$7 million would be injected into this initiative in 2022, and 150 recruitments would take place in this year alone.
President Dr Irfaan Ali has said Government welcomes such investments in a bid to make Guyana a fabrication hub for the region.